All Biomes In Returnal
This guide lists all biomes featured in Returnal while sharing some additional details on each of them.
Returnal is an immaculate roguelike third-person shooter game filled with a plethora of biomes with encounters with different alien life forms and other dangers. What sets Returnal apart from any other roguelike game is its procedurally generated levels and biomes that change each time you die.
Many players don't even realise how big Returnal is and how many biomes it offers. Most of the time, you reach one of two new biomes, only to die and restart your journey from the beginning with a changed map and biome layout.
For all those players who haven't made their way to the last biome in Returnal and are wondering about all biomes the game has to offer, keep reading our guide.
- Don't know about the Adrenaline system? Check out our guide on what is Adrenaline in Returnal to learn more.
All Biomes In Returnal
Returnal offers six biomes that players must explore and clear to learn the secrets of Atropos, Selene's past, and other lore while breaking the endless cycle of rebirth. These biomes include:
- Overgrown Ruins
- Crimson Wastes
- Derelict Citadel
- Echoing Ruins
- Fractured Wastes
- Abyssal Scar
When you start the game, Selene's ship crash lands into the Overgrown Ruins on the mysterious planet, Atropos. As the name suggests, the Overgrown Ruins biome is filled with delipidated structures, overgrown fauna, and a rainforest-like vibe.
- Did you know there is a certain Xeno-Tech called Reconstructor in Returnal that lets you create a checkpoint? Check our guide on how to find and use Reconstructor in Returnal for more details.
After clearing the Overgrown Ruins, players reach Crimson Wastes, a desert biome filled with a red hue that will remind you of Mars with a more crisp look. You must scale a tower in this biome to reach the next biome, the sentient beings' capital, Derelict Citadel.
There are two ways you can reach the Derelict Citadel biome in Returnal. The first option is using the teleportation gate in the Crimson Waste biome. The second option is to use the broken bridge in the Overgrown Ruins. Irrespective of your choice, you need specific keys and items to reach the Derelict Citadel biome.
- Did you know there is a creepy astronaut easter egg that you can find in Returnal? Read for more details.
When you clear the first three biomes in Returnal, you will reach the second phase of the game and the new biome called Echoing Ruins.
In the first phase of the game, you trigger a new cycle whenever you die and respawn back at your ship in the Overgrown Ruins biome, assuming you have not activated a Reconstructor Xeno-Tech.
As soon as you reach Echoing Ruins, you trigger the second phase of the game, which means dying will respawn you back in Echoing Ruins and not in Overgrown Ruins.
With that said, your next stop will lead to a snowy biome called Fractured Wastes. It is a biome filled with caverns, laser traps, natural dangers, and robots, which can easily overwhelm you with attacks.
Clear the biome, and you will finally reach the last biome, Abyssal Scar. This is an underwater biome where you fight alien aquatic beings in murky depths.
That concludes our guide on all biomes in Returnal. For more on Returnal, keep reading GGRecon.
About The Author
Hritwik Raj
Hritwik has been writing about video games, manga, and anime for more than 8 years. Some of his favourite games include The Last of Us Part II, Fallout 76, Apex Legends, Genshin Impact, and the Souls series.
